


Honesty

by alabastasprincess



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Adrien/Kagami and Marinette/Luka are acknowledged, F/M, Miraculous Ladybug Love Square, Mostly MariChat, Post-Episode: s03 Miracle Queen (The Battle of the Miraculous Part 2), also they talk about what happened during the weredad episode because canon just forgot about it?, kinda angsty, miraculous - Freeform, post-season 3, pre-reveal
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-01
Updated: 2020-03-01
Packaged: 2021-02-28 03:35:25
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,461
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22977043
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/alabastasprincess/pseuds/alabastasprincess
Summary: When crumbling under the weight of the world on her shoulders, an unexpected heart-to-heart with Chat Noir turns out to be just what Marinette needed
Relationships: Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir/Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug
Comments: 2
Kudos: 86





	Honesty

**Author's Note:**

> Set after Miracle Queen. I wrote this while ignoring my responsibilities in an attempt to get back into writing.

It was for the best, really. Adrien deserved to be happy, he deserved to be with the girl that he loved. And Kagami was amazing, she had become one of her closest friends, so of course she wanted her to be happy too. Two of her closest friends had found happiness in each other, so why couldn't she just be a good friend and be happy for them?

She knew why, of course. She loved Adrien. She had been in love with him ever since he had shown her kindness and lent her his umbrella, even though she had been so quick to assume the worst of him. But she knew that during that magical moment, it were only her feelings that had changed. He had always just been a lonely boy, who wished for her to become his friend. If she was honest with herself, she had known that Adrien had liked Kagami ever since he had asked for her help during the Frozer incident, but for a long time she had hoped that he'd end up seeing her the way she had always seen him.

But even if Adrien had returned her feelings, being with him would be too dangerous, she was aware of that. Once in an alternate timeline, Adrien had figured out her secret identity and somehow it had gotten to Chat Noir, who ended up being akumatized. She couldn't let that happen, no matter what. She might be a teenage girl, but first and foremost she was Paris' own superhero, Ladybug. Her duties came before her feelings. Now more than ever, with Master Fu having lost his memories and her being the Guardian of the Miracle Box.

It was hard, carrying the weight of the world on her shoulders and not being able to talk about it to anyone. She wondered if Chat Noir ever felt like this, he was the only other person who might understand what she was going through, the only other person who knew the burden of carrying a Miraculous.  
It's not like she'd give up being Ladybug, she loved being a hero who helped everyone in need, but sometimes it was just...too much.

"You look sad Princess."

Her eyes went wide and she gasped out in surprise at the sudden sound of her partners voice. Only now did she notice that he was standing beside her on her balcony.

"Chat Noir? What are you doing here? You scared the hell out of me!" How long had he been there? She had been too lost in her thoughts to notice anything.

"Sorry Princess. I was just out patrolling when I saw you standing here and well, you just seemed sad. So what's wrong?" With the way his eyes tried to analyze her every gesture to the way he tilted his head at her, the mask covering half his face didn't do anything to conceal the concern on it.

"It's nothing, don't worry about it." She turned away from his curious gaze, hoping he'd drop it. It's not like she could tell him what had been on her mind anyway.

"Is it because of that boy? The one you told me about last time?" His guess wasn't completely off, her unrequited feelings for Adrien had been part of what was bothering her.

"You could say that." It wasn't completely a lie.

"You're still hung up on him?" He asked glancing down.

"Yeah." It wasn't a lie at all.

"Marinette, if you're still in love with him, why did you tell me that you were in love with me? Or were you talking about me even back then?" His grip tightened on her balcony railing and he found himself unable to meet her eyes. It was obvious that he didn't want to hurt her. He felt guilty for thinking he had hurt her.

Uneasiness crept up within her. She couldn't just tell him the truth, she knew that. As much as she hated lying, she had to keep her identity a secret, so didn't have a choice, neither back then nor right now.

"I think I was never really in love with you," she started, trying to be honest without jeopardizing her identity.

"The guy I'm in love with had told me about the girl he was in love with. It broke my heart, but I tried to get over him. I guess I tried to force myself to fall in love with you, I just wanted to be in love with you instead." Even if she'd deny it if anyone were to ask her, deep down she really meant what she had said. A part of her just wanted to be loved in return, and Marinette knew that Chat Noir loved her, well Ladybug-her.  
If it wasn't for her feelings for Adrien, or that both of them had the duty to keep Paris safe and shouldn't let any feelings get in the way of that, or the fact that in an alternate timeline she apparently had fallen for Chat Noir, which had resulted in the end of the world, she wondered if things could've worked out between them.

"I'm sorry I put you through that," she added, recalling how her little white lie had resulted in quite the troublesome day for her partner.

"It's fine, I think I get it."

"You do?" She hadn't expected that. She expected him to be relived, maybe a little mad, but his complete understand and acceptance? Not really the reaction she had in mind.

"Yeah. I can't tell you any details because, well, secret identity and all that, but I've been seeing this girl. She's really amazing, smart, beautiful and talented, but she just isn't Ladybug. Maybe it's just because Ladybug is my first love, but sometimes it feels like no matter what I do, I won't ever get over her." A sigh escaped his lips and his gaze darkened, even though it was fixed on the lantern across the street.

"I think it's a good thing that you're trying to move on. Ladybug doesn't feel the same way, so moving on should be the natural thing to do," she said enthusiastically and gave him an encouraging smile, before her eyes widened and her posture stiffened, as if she had only just realized what she had said.

"Princess?" he asked, not missing her sudden change in demeanor.

"It's just, moving on..." she shook her head, "I need to do the same." A silent understanding passed between them as her thoughts drifted to someone else. She, too, had a really amazing guy, who had always been there for her ever since she had met him.  
Who had told her that he hoped things would work out between her and Adrien, despite having feelings for her himself. Who had held her as she cried, without demanding any kind of explanation from her.

"Well I should get going, who knows what the bad guys will be up to without this stray patrolling the streets." Clearing the air with a joke, that was just like him.

"Wait! Chat Noir, can I ask you something?" the words had left her mouth before she'd realized it. Maybe it was because she was finally letting out what was bothering her, instead of trying to hold everything in.

"And people say I'm the curious one," he joked, but motioned for her to continue.

"Don't you ever get overwhelmed?"

When he just tilted his head and furrowed his brows in response, she continued, "You know, being a superhero, knowing that every minor mistake you make could potentially doom Paris?"

"You don't have to be afraid Princess, Ladybug and I will defeat Hawkmoth. I won't let anything bad happen to you, or to Paris," he said with a smile, as he patted her shoulder reassuringly.

"I'm serious Chat Noir." She looked up at him and was met with his bright gaze already fixed on her.

"So am I. I promise I'll protect you, so you've got nothing to be afraid of."

"But what about you? Aren't you ever afraid?" she asked looking away from him.

"You're really amazing, you know that?" Where did that come from?

"What? What are you talking about?" She turned to him and her narrowed at the sudden compliment.

"It's just, I'm the superhero, so I should be looking out for you, and yet here you are looking out for me instead." He smiled one last time at her as he turned to leave.

"Wait, that's not–,"

"Marinette, just know that I really do appreciate your concern. You're a really great friend," he said before jumping off her balcony and disappearing into the night.

She couldn't explain the painful sensation that resounded within her heart at the sound of those familiar words.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you so much for reading this. It was my first time writing about them, so I apologize for any OOCness and hope you liked it. If you did, a review would be appreciated. If you didn't like it, I'd still appreciate a review with some constructive criticism. 
> 
> Feel free to send me requests too, I've been wanting to get back into writing but I haven't really been having much inspiration.


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